We always used to plant the bulk of our game crops in May. The triticale used to go in mid to late March, the maize was usually planted by mid-May, and the millets in early June when the ground was warm enough. This year, the weather has turned it on its head.
In March, it was too wet to get the triticale in and by mid-April, the ground was so dry that even the spring corn planted elsewhere on the estate stood still for weeks and did very little. April was also one of the coldest and frostiest on record and the first part of May was both cold and extremely wet.
As I write, our seed is still languishing in bags in the shed, waiting for things to improve.
We have decided against planting any spring corn this year, as we missed the earlier planting window and anything that goes in now will be all stalk and leaves, with little to no feed value. In its place, we are putting in more millet mixes to provide the feed and lighter cover that we’d have got from the cereals.
Modern varieties of silage maize will tolerate some frost, but that is not the case with the older varieties that we use as game cover because of their tougher stems and better standing ability.
Had we planted any, I am certain the hard frosts we have had would have taken the tops off any of the plants that were showing. In turn, that would have checked their growth and may even have killed them.
Far better to wait until conditions are right and the soil is warm enough for the seed to germinate and the plant to get away quickly.
Denne historien er fra June 09, 2021-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 09, 2021-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside